Amsterdam, The Netherlands Meeting Planning Overview

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, hosts numerous world-class conventions, events, and trade fairs every year. It is a prime MICE destination that has a wide variety of venues and high-quality accommodation options. The city is also known for its beautiful canals and world-famous museums, which draws tourists from all around the world. Visitors can fly into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer and then take a train from the Schiphol Airport train station into the city.

The RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, located 15 minutes from Schiphol Amsterdam airport, is among the main MICE venues in Amsterdam. The exhibition and congress center contains 108,300 square meters of leasable space and 6,250 parking spaces. The center features 11 multifunctional halls, two auditoriums, 70 congress and conference rooms, and a state-of-the-art ballroom with 1,883 square meters of event space. Other meeting venues in the city include the Rembrandt Tower Boardroom and the ArenA Congress Center.

Amsterdam's weather is variable and changes can occur rapidly. Summers are hot with highs of 20°C and winters are dry and frosty. The coldest months are from December to March, with winter temperatures reaching between -1°C and 1°C.

Rainfall is frequent in Amsterdam, particularly in the months of October and November, with a yearly precipitation of 778.3 millimeters. Snow is less common, although a sharp frost can bring an average of two days of snowfall during the coldest months.

Meeting Planning in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The main convention centre in Amsterdam is the million-square-foot Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre, three miles south of the city centre, the largest convention centre in The Netherlands and with easy access to the international airport at Schiphol. This large space contains 115,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 21,000-square-foot ballroom for up to 2,000 persons, two auditoriums and 64 meeting rooms with a capacity of 1,750.

RAI Amsterdam

Amsterdam RAI is the city's premier exhibition and convention centre, ideal for holding meetings, global events and entertainment shows. From lounge areas to foyers to ballrooms, it offers a vast selection of multi-purpose spaces that total 75 conference rooms and 106,500 m2 square meters of exhibition space. Not surprisingly, the Amsterdam RAI is the venue of choice for 500 events and 120 tradeshows per year.

With over 110 years of experience, the dedicated events professionals of Amsterdam RAI offer a full range of services to ensure maximum satisfaction. They can assist in catering, audio-visual and IT support. The Amsterdam RAI Hotel & Travel Service can arrange hotel accommodations around Amsterdam, assist in securing deals on flights and car rentals, set up tour excursions, and even make dinner reservations.

In conjunction with GroenBalans (GreenBalance), Amsterdam RAI proudly promotes is eco-friendly initiative called the Event Carbon Calculator. The program gives planners a way to calculate an event's CO2 emissions and can opt to off-set the results by investing in the Voluntary Emission Rights campaign. Amsterdam RAI has been also been awarded a Green Key certificate for its work in powering the entire venue in an environmentally-friendly way.

Amsterdam Conference Centre Beurs van Berlage is a defining landmark, situated right in the historic city centre. The combination of this central location, typical Amsterdam architecture, highest standards, and years of experience with international conferences and events, makes Amsterdam Conference Centre Beurs van Berlage the most desired conference venue.

Originally designed as an exchange in 1903, this beautiful monument has, in the last five years, transformed into the most preferred conference location right in the heart of Amsterdam. Amsterdam Conference Centre Beurs van Berlage offers a wide variety of halls and meeting rooms, perfect for welcoming international conferences, dinners, receptions, and exhibitions of up to 1,300 delegates.

Whether it is a public event, conference, concert, festival, dinner, meeting, symposium, or exhibition, with so many rooms and possibilities, the Beurs van Berlage is the ideal place to meet other people. The highlight of the Dutch architecture combines its rich history with modern, state-of-the-art technology.

Home to Amsterdam Football Club Ajax, the Amsterdam ArenA officially opened in 1996 and has been used as ground for sporting matches, music concerts and other notable events. With a capacity of 51,628 people during sporting events and 68,000 during concerts, it is the city's largest functional events space. Its phenomenal retractable roof the first in Europe has also made it an iconic feature of the Amsterdam cityscape.

Although the Amsterdam ArenA is famed for large-scale events, it is also host to hundreds of business events, workshops and seminars every year. A desired location for many meeting planners, the venue provides a rather impressive alternative to a standard boardroom.

There are three main facility options for conferences at the stadium: the Main Stand, the Events Platform, and the ArenA Amphi. These offer space for large groups of 50 to 12,000 people. For smaller meetings, Amsterdam ArenA has a near endless combination of boardrooms, lounges, foyers and exhibition spaces. On-site dining options Restaurant ArenA and VAK111 are also available for private meetings and dinners.

Catering, staging and serving staff can be arranged for any event. Amsterdam ArenA also provides the latest technology services, including wireless Internet access and presentation screens.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands Airport Information

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

Approximate taxi fare: 50 EUR

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is one of the largest hub airports in Europe, with 322 direct destinations. The airport is situated right above the Schiphol Airport train station, where one can board direct trains to Utrecht, Leiden, The Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam. There are also around 24 direct bus lines to and from the airport. The buses right outside the departure and arrival halls.

Eindhoven Airport (EIN)

Approximate taxi fare: 290 EUR

Located 7.4 km west of Eindhoven municipality, this regional airport has six scheduled airlines operating out of the airport that serve destinations like Paris, Stockholm, Budapest, and Málaga, Spain.

Passengers can pick up a souvenirs or last-minute items at Shop & Fly or AKO, or even authentic Dutch bulbs or a bouquet from the florist Aviflora. The airport's Restaurant Belvedair offers quick snacks and an a-la-carte menu for lunch and dinner. A business center on the first floor features six versatile rooms and catering packages.

Public bus lines 401 and 45 offer service between Eindhoven Airport and Eindhoven Central Station and between the northern district to Eindhoven and the airport, respectively. AirExpressBus is the direct shuttle service between Eindhoven Airport and the Netherlands capital city. Short-term and long-term parking is available.

Rotterdam Airport (RTM)

Approximate taxi fare: 179 EUR

The Rotterdam Airport operates flights by transavia.com as well as VLM Airlines and a number of charter flights.

The airport has several amenities that serve to make the travel experience more comfortable. Travelers can grab a bite to eat at De Basseri or the café/restaurant Horizon, and even pass the time browsing the Rotterdam Airport Shop or the AKO Shop. Rotterdam Airport also has wireless Internet facilities, money exchange services, and a peaceful airport lounge for valid ticket holders.

Rotterdam Airport can be very easily reached by Rotterdam's public transport service. RET bus lines 33, 41, 50, and line B12 provide a shuttle service from the city during early morning and throughout the night. The airport has short-term and long-term parking facilities within walking distance of the airport terminal.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands Ground Transportation

Train

The train system in Amsterdam offers links to parts of the city, other Dutch towns and cities, as well as direct connections with Belgium, France, and Germany. The Amsterdam Centraal Station is also directly connected to the city’s bus, tram, metro, and ferry services. Many train stations are equipped with lifts, ramps, and escalators, while most trains are wheelchair-friendly.

Stop/Go Bus

The Stop/Go bus is an ideal choice for visitors to the city. This mini-bus service runs the length of the Prinsengracht Canal and also links to other GVB transport services. To signal an approaching Stop/Go bus, guests need only wave their hand. There are no designated stops, which mean visitors can jump on and off at points of their choosing.

The Stop/Go bus runs daily from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. In addition to other standard ticket options, the Stop/Go bus accepts one-euro tickets, sold by the driver, which are valid for one hour of travel.

Metro Amsterdam

Running on a combination of underground and elevated track, the metro has four lines: 50 (Gein-Isolatorweg), 51 (Centraal Station-Westwijk), 53 (Centraal Station-Gaasperplas), and 54 (Centraal Station-Gein). Each line takes passengers in one of the four compass point directions.

Trams

The tram, otherwise known as lijn 5, runs from the city center to a suburb called Amstelveen. The trams on this line run through three separate zones with 27 stops. The frequency of the service makes it a convenient choice for many passengers.

Ferries

GVB ferries connect the Amsterdam city center and the north of Amsterdam. The ferries are a popular mode of transport for pedestrians and cyclists, and its increasing popularity has spurred an increase in the number of ferries in operation and the frequency of the service. Ferries are free of charge.

Rental Cars

All three Amsterdam area airports are served by Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, and National rental car agencies. Rental car services can also be found throughout the city, with agencies such as Vizivo and Autoeurope operating from the city center.

Taxis

Taxi ranks are located around the city center, namely outside Amsterdam Centraal Station, Rembrandtplein, and Leidseplein and at the bus station on the junction of Kinkerstraat. Taxis can be identified by traditional blue license plates and illuminated signs on their roof. Taxicentrale Amsterdam is the largest taxi base in the city. Traveling by taxi is considered an expense in Amsterdam, as the public transport provides an efficient and affordable alternative.